Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), has written to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), calling for the hiring of 50,000 more teachers to avoid a crisis.
According to the union, most teachers are expected to retire soon while those above 55 years could be let off as they lie in the age group that is susceptive to Covid-19.
Covid-19 has hardly hit schools since March 2020 killing at least 36 teachers.
Kuppet said it had found out that the teaching service commission has 25,000 teachers who are over 58 years and are consequently due to retire from June next year.
“Half of the 25,000 teachers who are aged 58 years and above are remaining with a year or less in the service,” said Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori in a letter.
Kuppet also stated that about 50,000 teachers will retire within the next 3 years and if prevailing trends of deaths and resignations and retirements continue, an extra 4,000 teachers may leave service.
“For this reason, Kuppet has written to the Teachers Service Commission and relevant government departments calling for urgent plans to increase the number of teachers and take other measures to maintain education services at the current levels,” Misori said.
The teachers union noted that the TSC should also hire a minimum of 15,000 per year from the next year to 2026.
“This is before taking to account new demands for teachers to mitigate Covid-19 in schools,” said Misori.
Misori also noted that the 12,000 teachers expected to be recruited before the January 2021 resumption is not enough to maintain the workforce at the current situation.
Kuppet asked TSC to publish a circular to guide the implementation of working from home.
“At the moment, headteachers, principals and TSC County Directors have no direction on how to implement the directive, as a result, many teachers who deserve the leave of absence have been denied permission to stay away from schools,” Misori said.
The union also asked TSC to open the window for teachers above 55 years who wish to retire from service and to institute a healthy succession administration plan for institution above 55 years of age.
